Beginning Monday, April 5, Douglas County District Court will start using the Douglas County Fairgrounds for court proceedings. District Court will be using Flory Meeting Hall and Building 21, which should be accessed from Harper Street.
A new COVID Helpline – 785-864-9000 – is available for Douglas County. This phone number will be answered by trained staff who can help answer questions about vaccination, testing, symptoms, local public health orders and other COVID-19 related questions. The helpline will be available: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday.
SMART Recovery group meetings are available for Douglas County residents at no cost every Wednesday and Friday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Smart Recovery group meetings are for anyone who is struggling with addictive behaviors such as alcohol, opioids, amphetamines, tobacco, gambling, pornography or binge eating. The group meetings are provided through the University of Kansas Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment and The University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
The Lawrence Humane Society is proposing changes to the Animal Control Codes of Douglas County which would apply to residents who reside in the unincorporated areas of the county. The nonprofit agency is seeking feedback from the public about the proposed changes.
Douglas County Commissioners on April 14 unanimously approved an updated public health order recommended by local health officers that keeps a countywide mask mandate and social distancing requirements in businesses and most public venues.
The Lawrence-Douglas County Sustainability Office is teaming up with After the Harvest, a Kansas City, Mo.-based produce rescue nonprofit, and Community Organized Gleaners (COGs), a grassroots volunteer group of experienced farmers, to expand food recovery on Douglas County farms. The goal is to rescue nutritious fruits and vegetables from farm fields after the marketable harvest and distribute them to Douglas County agencies providing food and shelter assistance to community members.
Douglas County nonprofits, agencies and businesses have spent the $24.9 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that were provided by the State of Kansas and distributed through Douglas County Government. The state approved Douglas County’s direct aid plan in September 2020 and all of the funding was spent by the state’s deadline of March 1, 2021.
Douglas County offers an online tool called myStrength that is available 24/7. It's free and confidential! MyStrength offers a variety of programs, including: mindfulness and meditation, improving sleep, reducing stress, controlling anxiety, managing depression, balancing intense emotions, facing racism and discrimination, and coping with COVID-19.
To sign up for myStrength, visit https://mystrength.com and use access code: Douglas County.
A handful of participants in the Douglas County Drug Court program shared their stories with members of the Douglas County Criminal Defense Bar Association through a Zoom meeting this fall. All of them described the program as life-changing.
Douglas County launched Drug Court about a year ago in January 2020. It is a 14-month program for adults who have been arrested and charged with a non-violent felony offense and are having difficulty staying substance free.
Courthouse:
1100 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Judicial and Law Enforcement Center:
111 East 11th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
